Insulated rail-joint.



No. 813,840. Y BATENTED FEB 27, 1906. MULEOD w. THOMSON, DEOD. w. P. & S. G. TH'DMSUN, EXECUTORS.

INSULATED RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED APR 10, 1902.

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7 PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906.

MGLEOD W. THGMSON, DEOD. w. P. & s. a. Tnozason, EXEGUTOES. INSULATED HAIL JOINT, APPLIOATION FILED AER-10, 1902.

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McLEOD W. THOMSON HALF T0 ANDREW MORRISON,

OF SAID MoLEOD W. THOMSON,

. I OF ALTOONA,

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR or ONE- OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA; WIL- LIAM PATON THOMSON AND SAMUEL GARVEY nsomsnn.

THOMSON EXECUTORS INSULATED RAIL -JOINT Specification-of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 10, 1902. Serial No. 102,255.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MOLEOD W. THOMSON, of Altoona, in the county of Blair and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Insulated lowing is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accom anying drawin s, forming part of this speci in Iwhich Y i re 1 is a to prefe ri' ed form of p plan view showing the my improved joint. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same on the line'II II of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan view showing another form of the invention. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line III III of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a-top plan view showin a portion of my invention applied to a fu ly-insulat'ed joint. Fig. '6 is a side elevation of the form of Fig. 5, and Fig. 7- is a longitudinal section of a ortion of one form of my joint on the 6H VII of Fig. 4.

My invention relates to, the class of insulated rail oints, and is designed to reduce the area 0 the insulated surface, thereby reducing the liability of injury to the insulation, and also lowering the cost,"".also t'o provide a stronger girder-support for the joint than was hitherto possible; further, 'to an range the joint to resist expansion and contraction of the rails which tends to injure the separating-blocks between the rail ends, and also tocheapen and improve the joint.

, In the drawin s, referring to Figs. 1 and 2, 2 represents the eads of the meeting rails, 3 the web, and 4 4. the base-flanges. I have shown the splice-bars 5 5 as of the improved form set forth in my United States Patent No. 549,945, dated November 19, 1895, being provided flanges 6, extending, preferably, at an angle of about forty-five degrees; but claims I do not articular type of splice-bars, the broader eatures of the invention being a plicabie to any rail-joint. In this form each s is planed or otherwise reeessed throughout one-half of its length along its upper bearingface 7 or its lower bearing-surface 8, or both, to allow for the insertion of the strip of insulating fiber 9. The portion of each s lice-bar is arranged on the opposite side oft e joint to that o the other Rail-Joint, of which the folcation,

' preferably with inwardly-inclined lower 1n my broader limit my invention to this plice-bar recessed or planed-away s lice bar, and the usual block 10 is used between the meeting ends of the rails. In the insulated portion of each splice-bar each bolt 11 is insulated from the bar by means of an insulating-fiber collar 12, surrounding the splice-bar, and tween the 'splicabar and the nut or head of the v the bolt within-the'bolt-hole in by a fiber washer 13 bebolt onthis side of the rail. In this form of the invention the fiber collars and washers are arran ed on the opposite side of one rail to that of t e other meeting rail, and as one-half of each splice-b rail and the connectin -b olts no current-can pass from one rail to t e next. In order to prevent expansion and. contraction of the rails from compressing and injuring the epanating-blocks between, their meeting nds, I employ metal thimbles 14, which sunround the central portions of the bolts and fill the the holes through the webs ofthe rails. ends of these thimbles are over to hold them in place,

The preferably peened motion and no substantial yieldin since the thimbles driven in around the b0 ts sustain the pressure resulting from expansion and contraction, thus 'taki g this pressure away from the separatin' insulatingblock. Instead of using the er collars between the bolts and the spl ce-bars I may .use fiber collars between the bolts" and the rail only, though I prefer theform shown, as it revents injury to the se aratin fiber block between the rail ends. In this um also I show an additional support for the joint consisting of a triangular wooden block 15, "whose lower faces fit upon the flat inclined inner faces of the splice-bar flanges, this block having a recess under which receives a metal plate 16 with a fiber layer 17 between it leakage of the current in case the wooden block becomes water-soaked. I have shown the ate as secured by screws to the wooden bloci. The block is forced against the base of the rails by bolts or other fastenings 18, which extend through the flanges 6 and thrpugh the wooden terphsed washers 19. bolts the flanges are By drawing-up these drawn slight y toward separating fiber 1 ar is thus insulated from the the end of one of the rails,

and the block to prevent Patented Feb. 27, 1905.

annular space between them and as shown. I thus make a positlve joint in which there-is no lost" block with suitable inthe splice-bars.

each other and the block forced upwardly to form a firm yet resilient support for the rail ends.

In the form of Figs. 3 and 4 I show the cutaway portions for the half of each splice-bar as arranged opposite to each other onthe opposite sides of the same rail. In this form the fiber collars 12 and the washers 13 are arranged at both ends. of the bolts 11 on the insulated side of the joint, and the insulating layers 9, with these fiber washers and collars, completely insulate the one rail from both splice-bars, thus preventing the current as before. In other respects the joint is similar to that of Figs. 1 and 2. In the form of Figs. 5 and 6 I show the splice-bars as cut away or recessed throughout their entire length, as in theusual manner, with the wooden block 15" and the se curing-bolts extending through it and the inclined flanges, and the metal plate and insulating layer between it and one of the rail ends, as in the form of Figs. 3 and 4. In this form the fiber collars 12 and washers 13 are used upon both ends of each bolt, and the metal thimbles 14 are employed between the bolts and the rail-webs, as in'the form of the previous figures.

The advantages of any invention result from the lar e reduction in the amount of insulating-surface, which reduces the liability to injury to the insulation; also,irom-the posi tive joint, which prevents expansion and contraction-of the rails from squeezing and injuring the separating-block between their meeting ends; also, from the added strength of the joint resulting from the fact that each of thesplice-bars is cut away for'only onehalf its length, thus allowing one-half of each bar'to directly contact with and support the rails, and,

with the inwardly-inclined lower flanges of Many changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the splice-bars, the insulating layers, and connections without de artin from in invention.

1. An insulated rail-joint having opposite splice-bars, the halves of said bars on the same side of said oint being respectively insulated anduninsulated; substantially as described.

2. An insulated rail-jointhaving opposite splicebars, theinner faces on one side of the joint being insulated and the corresponding faces 0 the other side of the joint being uninsul substantially as (:lescribed.

3. in insulated rail-joint having opposite splice-bars, the portion of said bars on the ne side of the joint being planed or re t 'l to admit of insulating material; subs "liy no bed.

rail-joint having splicea. An insulated passage of further, from the im-' proved support for the joint in connection macro bars provided with depending flexible flanges inclined inwardly at about forty-five'degrees, and having flat inner 'iaces, a triangular block of resilient material below the railbases and within the flanges, and cross-bolts or faste'nings belowthe middle of the block and arranged to draw the flanges toward each other to force the block upwardly; substantially as described.

5. An insulated rail-joint having splicebars with depending flanges inwardly inclined, a wooden block below the rail-bases and between the depending flanges, and CIOSS? belts or fastenings arranged to draw the flanges toward each other and force the block upwardly; substantially as described.

\ 6. An insulated rail-'oint having splicebars with depending flanges inwardly in clined', a Wooden block below the rail-bases and between the depending flanges, a metal plate seated on the-block under the end portion of one rail only, and cross-bolts or iastenings arranged to' draw the depending flanges toward each other and force the block upwardly; substantially as described.

7. An insulated rail-jointhaving splicebars with depending flanges inwardly inclined, a triangular wooden block below the rail-bases and between the flanges, arnet'al plate seated .in a recess in the block, and cross-bolts or fastenings arranged to draw the depending flanges toward each other substantially as described.

8. An insulated rail-joint'having splicebars "with depending inWardly inciin ed flanges, a wooden block tions of both rails and within the flanges, and a layer of insulating material between the wooden block and the rail-base; substantially as described. a

9. An insulated rail-joint having splicebars with depending inwardly-inclined flanges, a triangular wooden block below the rail-bases and between the flanges, a layer of insulating material upon the wooden block, and a metal late in the recess of the block under the end portion of one rail only; substantially as described. Y

10. In an insulated rail-joint, an insulating support extending below the rail ends, insulation thereon, a metallic protecting plate between the same and the base of at least-one of the rails, and insulating means below the end porfor maintaining the rails in alinement; subblock andflanges to draw said flanges '60-- top face thereof, and bolts or other fastening means securing said flanges together and holding said block against the Ifill, substantially as described.

isween said flanges, lmi bolts 01'' other fastening means arranged to pass through said.

ward each oilher and. force the block against the base of the rail; substantially as (16 I in testimeny whereof I hae hereunto set scriberkn 1 my hand.

13. insu ated rail-joint provided with 5, {y inwardly-( iepending flanges having straight MCMLGD W'THOMSOD" inner faces inelosing with the base of the rail Witnesses:

a triangular space, a, wooden block in said;

G. E. lviosnn, Jn, space having a,v metal plate secured to the M. JONES. 

